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Blood and Bone/Chapter 15
Saeng and Pon-lor The Circle of Thaumaturg Masters detect Saeng's interference with their ritual and teleport to the altar to prevent her. Pon-lor overcomes the first four to arrive but is nearly killed by the Prime Master, Surin; he is saved only when Hanu kills Surin. Saeng is then able to destroy the last four Masters before sinking into the ground, but is grabbed by Hanu and hauled to safety. They leave the temple, only to see what seems to be an enormous impact to the west, followed by the avalanche-like roar of gales that knock over giant trees and hurl stones and boulders. Hanu covers Saeng with his body to protect her. Pon-lor feels his mind fragmenting. The Crimson Guard Ardata and her attendant Lek appear to the Crimson Guard. K'azz goes to talk with her. While he is gone Skinner and the Disavowed arrive; the Avowed and Disavowed confront one another. Suddenly there is a flash in the west and the mages collapse; one says the Warrens were struck. Ardata and K'azz return. Ardata says that something strange and unexpected had happened, but the impact was now subsiding. Ardata asks Skinner to return to her side, but he refuses. Ardata then asks that he returns her gift, his invincible armour. He again refuses, reminding her that she had said that no one could take it from him. However Ardata asks the armour to return. It does so, breaking into myriad spiders which devour Skinner's flesh before returning to her. Queen of Dreams The Enchantress arrives in her sorceress guise, together with Ina and the Malazan mercenaries. Ardata fails to recognise her. The Enchantress tells Ardata that she has come to discuss Lek, who is Ardata's daughter kept hidden because of her deformities; this is the reason that Ardata holds the past, present and future together. A magical confrontation begins and everyone else retreats, taking Lek with them. As they leave Shimmer sees Lek's appearance change between child, woman and crone. The fight intensifies, resulting in a devastating magical storm. Jatal Jatal and Scarza should have been killed in the fires that followed the storm but took refuge in a stream, which is now dried up. Scarza claims that Warleader must have died, but Jatal is determined to continue the hunt. Saeng and Pon-lor Saeng wakes in the devastated temple grounds, and finds Hanu dead beside her. Pon-lor is alive but mindless. Saeng sends a summons to Old Man Moon, hoping he can heal the damage. He does, in exchange for more tattoos. Murk and Sour/Queen of Dreams Murk and Sour search the ruins and find the Enchantress. She says that Ardata has released her hold and withdrawn from the world. She offers to transport the Malazans back to Aren, where they are no longer outlawed, and the Crimson Guard to Stratem. Lek and Ina will remain with her. Celeste appears to Murk. She tells him that the Shattered God has been reassembled and translated into another existence. She is now just a shadow, left behind to explore that complex being called Himatan. 15